Oil-shale extraction process



July 8, 1924.

R. W. JENKINS OIL SHALE EXTRACTION PROCESS Filed May 12, 192] PatentedJuly 8, 1924. i

UNITED s'rA'rEs ROBERT W. JENKINS, OF RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA..

OIL-SHALE EXTRACTION PROCESS.

Appucafin med my 12,

To all who'm, z't 'ma-y concem:

Be it known that I, ROBERT W..JENKINs, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Richmond, county of Contra Costa, State ofCalifornia, have made a new and useful invention to Wit, Improvements inan Oil-Shale Extraction Process; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, concise, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates .particularly to the process of distilling orextracting oil from ore or shale of 'an oil bearing nature.

An object of this invention is toprovide adequate means land methods' ofcontrolling the temperatures necessary to extract or distill the maximumpossible quantity of the desired commodity from the crude material.

A further object of this invention is to provide an ap aratus, for use'with my process, that wil re uire a smaller initial outlay, cost lessto mamtain than other apparatuses of a similar nature, that may beoperated more eficiently and eifectively, minimize labor costs and alsosuccessfully handle sufiicient quantities' of crude material to yieldthe desired hydrocarbon commodity in suflicient quantities.

A further object is to provide a retort in which the process of myinvention may bev carried on, having means therein for admitting thecrude material, receiving the distilled product therefrom, carrying awayvthe residue of the crude material and with escape ports forv relievingexcessive pressures Other objects and advantages, will apear as thisdescription progresses. In this specification and the annexed drawing,the invention is illustrated in the form considered 'to be the best, butit is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such form,because it may be embodied in otherforms, and it is also to beunderstood that in and by the claims following the description, it isdesired to cover the invention in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

In the accompanying one-sheet of drawin s,

igure 1 represents a diagranimatic side elevation of an apparatusadapted to be. used in the operation with my improved extractionprocess. i i

Figure 2 represents a side view through Figure 1 on line 2-2.

Various apparatuses and processes have 1921. srial No. 468,844.

been constructed for treating ore of the same character as is proposedto be utilized 1n the operation of my process. Such means andapparatuses have been at their best, in-v eflicient in operation and notcommercially valuable for distilling or producing the oil in payingquantities. Furthermore the older method of treating` oil bearinz,` oreor shale consisted in heating the product externally thus indirectlytending to cook the commodity and raise the temperature thereofsufliciently to drive off the desired commodity. This manner oftreatment does not extract the highest percentage of the desired productfrom the crude material, nor is it possible to. treat quantities ofmaterial in such a short period of time necessary for efi'icientoperation. My invention consists in directly contacting `theore or crudemate- .rial to be treated withthe heat of a fiame,

used in conjunction with steam, whereby the' crude material is heatedmuch faster than where cooked by an external heat, also serving thepurpose of permitting greater quantities of the crude material tobetreated in much quicker time.

In detail the construction illustrated in the drawings comprises acylindrical retort or furnace generally designated by the numeral 1,formed from metal or other desirable material adapted to reasonablyresist i-the deleterious effects of heat. The retort 1 consists of acylindrical body portion and of an enlarged cylindrical end portion 2thereon concentric therewith. The axis of the retort' is inclined sothat the enlarged portion 2 thereof lies in close proximity to theground or surface upon which rests the standards or frame work forsupporting the said retort. The exterior ofthe retort is encased withheat resisting material such as magnesia covering, asbestos or the like,to

prevent loss of heat by radiation. Supports 3 and 4 are mounted adjacent the cylindrical. portion 1 of the retort, and a support 5 adjacentthe enlarged end 2 thereof, although it would be clearly within thepurview lof this invention to rearrange the supporting means shown or tovary Vthe method of supporting the retort. Eachbof the supports 3, 4 and5 are providedwith spaced, bearlng members 7 thereon between which aroller or sp'ool member 8 is rotatably mounted, and which is adapted toreceive and support `annular projections 9, 10 and 11 respectively,fixed on the retort. The rollers 8 ha've clepres'sed `center portions 12and flanged ends 13 and 14. The outer faces of theannuluses 9, 10 and 11contact with the inner portion of the roller 8 and the retort is guardeda ainst lateral or longitudinal disalignment y the flanges 13 and 14enga ing the sides 'of the said annuluses 9, .10 an 11. A suitable gear15 is mounted circumferentially about the retort 1 and meshes with agear 16, fixed on a shaft 17, having the ends thereof in the bearingsformed in the supports 3 and 4. The shaft 17 is provided with a pulley18 thereon connected by a belt or other suitable media to'a source ofenergy for rotating the same. The apparatus indicated for the purpose ofrevolving the retort is susceptible of various modifications within thescope of this invention and it is to be understood that suitable modi:fication would' be permissible.

,The upper end of the retort 1 is closed by a fixed cover 19 secured toa standard 21 and has a circumferentially beaded edge therearound,engaging a peripheral fiange 20 provided on the end of the retort 1. Thecover 19 has a ooncentric opening therein through which a substantiallycylindrical casing 22 is adapted to project, the opposite end of saidcasing. communicating jwith aV hopper 23 adapted to Vcontain the crudematerial, oil bearing shale or ore. Casing 22 has a suitable screw feedshaft 24 rotatably' mounted therein and supported in bearings 25 and 26respectively at its opposite ends. A pulley l27 may be used for thepurpose of imparting rotative movement to the screw feed and thusprogressively conveying raw material or the oil bearing shale from thehopper 23 through the casing 22 and into the retort 1. The casing 22 isslightly enlarged throughout its length for the purpose to behereinafter describedV in detail, and is also covered without withasbestos or other heat resisting material. The cover 19 isalso providedwith a door or fly-lid 26 ivotally mounted thereon and normally aaptedto remain closed and efi'ectively vseal of the interior of the retortfrom the atmosphere.

The enlarged end 2 of the ret rt isf'lined in the interior withfire-'brick or ther refractory heat resisting material, inasmuch as thedestructive action occurring by directly contacting the oil bearing orewith the flame of the heating medium, takes place in the enlargedchamber 2, it becomes necessary to provide effective and lastingprotection for theinterior of the retort. The lower end of `the retort 2is closed by a cover member 28,

fixed relative'to said retort and also has a,

peripheral flangd edge thereon over-lapping an annular lip 30 on theretort to provide substantially an airtight joint therewith.

The lower end of the cover 28 has 'a chute 31 extending therefrom intowhich ash or the dbris remaining after the ore has des- Leooaa troyed,may be discharged. A. suitable endless conveyor 32 is'provided withinsaid chute to carry awa the ash or otherwise dispose of it. The caslng 2is provided with a door 33 pivoted thereon closing an opening 34 in saidcasing. This dooi` or fly-lid 33 is provided for the purpose ofrelieving any sudden increases of pressure occurring within the retort'occasioned by a premature combustion of the hydrocarbon vapors or gasesWithin the retort. The cover 28 is also provided With an opening-thereinthrough which the nozzle of an oil burner 35v projects,` said oilburning apparatus being used for the purpose of heating the interior ofthe retort andapplying the flamethereof in direct contact to the ore orcrude material from which oil is to be distilled or extracted. A-steam/smother line 38 projects through the said cover into the linterioroftheretort for co- Operating With the oil burner in increasing thetemperature Within the retort and thus aiding in heating the shale orcrude material and hastening the distillation.

This invention operatesl as follows:

The crude material or oil bearing shale 'is placed withinthe hopper 23andthe screw feed 24 rotated suificiently to advance predeterminedquantities of the material into the upper end of the lretort 1. i Priorto advancing the crude material, the oil burner would be started and thegasified fuel delivered therefrom lighted to produce a flame. After thetemperature within the retort has reached a desired degree, the pulley,18 would be rotated and through the inter-meshing gears 15 and 16,commence revolving the retort. p The screw feed Would then be continuedin its rotation, advancing the crude material or oil bearing shale intothe upper end of the retort. The degree of inclination of the revolvingretort is such that the material would gradually work its way toward thelowest point and would be continually agitated and turned so as topermit all parts thereof to be thoroughly heatedu As the ore passes intothe enlarged end of the retort, it would come in direct contact with theflame of the oil burner, tending to thoroughly destroy the structure ofthe crude material and to drive off, distil or extract the desiredcommodity contained therein. In order to increase the efliciency of theretort it is desirable that steam be introduced with the flame of theoil burner, thereby tending to raise the temperature of the crudematerial to the desired point where the hydrocarbon vapors would begiven off. The continuedtrevolving of thev retort would gradually passthe crude material to the lowermost edge thereof in the form of an ashor dbris which Would be removed from the retort by the ash conveyor 32or otherwise disposed of.

The oil bearing shale or crude material when firstl'`` introduced intothe retort commences to give off its hydrocarbon vapor 'gropertieaalmost instantly u n being eated. As the temperature of t e shale isgradually increased,v more'and more of the oil vapor is given oif. Thatthe vapor of 'distillation mi ht be withdrawn from the retort and 'coected,- a. suitable condenser the condenser pipe 40is connected vwith aor undue e vacuum pump 43 used to exha'ust the -interior of the retortof its vapors of distillation and 'otherwise create a suction throughthe screw feed casing 22 and into'the-condenser. The'vapors ofdistillation in passing from the retort is partially-cooled by contactwith the incoming crude material and with the walls of the casing 22,somewhat smplifying the work of the 'condenser. The vapor is cooled orotherwise collected in the condenser aforementioned after which it isconveyedfto suitable receiving tanks or other ready means Whereby it maybe disposed of.

It often happens in the process of extrac- 'tion that the vapors ofdistillation will come in contact with the flame of the oil burnercausing a premature combustion which might be disruptive to the aparatus but wlnch is counteracted by the y-lids or explosion doors at,the opposite ends of the retort; thus any Sudden pressure increasesansion of the air within the retorfl is reheved b doors to the atmospere. ere a premathe ning of said ture explosion takes place and aburning of the shale follows, the smothering steam from the conduit 38tends to make the same shortlived and thus eifectively quench the fireto permit a resuming of the process of distillation.

Having thus -described this invention, What I claim and desirel tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. The herein described process of dis- *tilling oil from oil shale,comprising progressively passing predetermined quantlties of shale intoa heated retort revolving said retort to advance said shaletherethrough; subjecting said shale to direct contact with the flame ofa heating medium. for -distillation urposes; collecting the heated oilvapors of said shale and relieving said retort of excesspressures'.

2. The herein described process of distilling 'oil from oil shale,comprising progressively passingpredetermined quantities of shale into aheated retort; revolving said retort to advance said shale therethrough;subjecting said shale to direct contact with the flame of a heatingmedium for distillation purposes; introducing steam into contact withsaid shale to aid in distillation; collecting the heated oil Vvapors ofsaid shale and relieving said retort of excess pressures.

' In testimony Whereof, Ii have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco,California, this 14th day of'April 1921.

ROBERT W. JENKINS.

In presence of LrNcoLN V. JOHNSON.

